“Why are you playing him if he is not going to bowl? “, Aakash Chopra questions Hardik Pandya for not giving over to Axar Patel.
In the aftermath of India’s narrow defeat against the West Indies in the second T20I, former cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed his disappointment with Hardik Pandya’s decision not to bowl Axar Patel during the match. The Men in Blue had set a target of 153 runs for the hosts in the five-match series game held in Guyana on Sunday, August 6. However, their bowlers struggled to defend the score, ultimately resulting in a two-wicket loss for India with seven deliveries remaining.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned the omission of Axar Patel from the bowling attack by Hardik Pandya. The left-arm spinner, known for his economical bowling and wicket-taking abilities, was surprisingly not given a chance to showcase his skills during the crucial match.
Aakash Chopra said “Axar Patel wasn’t given a single over. My question is that if Axar Patel is not going to bowl because you have a left-hander in front of him, then Kyle Mayers comes at the start, then comes Nicholas Pooran, then Shimron Hetmyer and Akeal Hosein in the end, then he will not bowl a single over.”
He moreover added “Why are you playing him if he is not going to bowl? You didn’t use the sixth bowler at all. A left-armer can bowl against a left-hander. Akeal Hosein showed that by doing it against Tilak Varma and dismissed him as well, but we didn’t get Axar to bowl.”